How to design for thumbs

With the increase in iPhones 6 screen sizes there is a renewed focus on the human factors and ergonomics involved in using larger devices with one hand. There was great research done by Parhi, Karlson, and Bederson titled “Target Size Study for One-Handed Thumb Use on Small Touchscreen Devices” that delved into both target reachability as well as accuracy. A repost on the design blog Core77 focuses on the Mobile Interface Design: “Thumb Zones” for the new iPhones and discusses both the physical limitations as well as work arounds for one-handed use. There are trade offs with any design, and while my first reaction to the iPhone 6 is that it feels too big, the screen is so beautiful and useful at that size that it is something I would like to use.